Chemicals

In ‘Cancer Alley,’ Carbon Capture Push Draws Fire From Environmentalists

"EPA proposes handing regulation of carbon storage to state officials in Louisiana. Activists fear the risks, and the chance it could perpetuate the fossil fuel industry."

Source: Washington Post, 06/22/2023

World's Worst Industrial Disaster Harmed People Even Before They Were Born

"Shortly after midnight on December 3, 1984, about 40 tons of deadly gas leaked out of a pesticide factory in the central Indian city of Bhopal. ....Now, a new study shows that the accident ,,, affected not just those who were exposed to the gas that night but also the generation of babies still in the womb when the accident happened."

Source: NPR, 06/21/2023

Tribal Activists Oppose Nevada Mine Key to Biden's Clean Energy Agenda

"Just 45 miles from the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation where Daranda Hinkey and her family corral horses and cows, a centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s clean energy plan is taking shape: construction of one of the largest lithium mines in the world."

Source: AP, 06/21/2023

Watching the Watchers: How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas

After a massive fire at a Texas petrochemical storage facility, reporters from Public Health Watch and The Texas Tribune worked together to shed light on who was responsible for this disaster and what health threats had been hidden from the public. This behind-the-scenes report from Public Health Watch’s David Leffler and Savanna Strott looks at the challenges the team faced and how they overcame them.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Pesticide Data Can Ground Food and Farm Stories

A billion pounds of chemicals are used on U.S. crops each year. Designed to protect them, they can also leave residue on foods we eat and enter the waterways we drink from. Reporter’s Toolbox has some key data sources for journalists, whether they’re looking at the big picture or are drilling down locally around issues of pesticide use and human or ecological health.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Shell Chemical Plant Had Many Violations Before Recent Fire, Paid Few Fines

"Residents, lawyers, and environmental groups point to aging facilities and reluctant state regulators as reasons for the continued string of industrial fires."

Source: Houston Public Media, 06/16/2023

Bayer OKs $6.9 Million Settlement With New York Over Roundup Safety Claims

"Bayer AG agreed on Thursday to pay $6.9 million to settle claims by New York Attorney General Letitia James that it misled consumers by advertising Roundup weedkiller, which has been linked to cancer, as environmentally safe."

Source: Reuters, 06/16/2023

"US Government Toughens Rules On Chemicals Used To Break Up Oil Slicks"

"The Environmental Protection Agency has announced more stringent rules governing offshore oil spill response, amid continuing concerns about the effects on public health and wildlife from chemical disasters, including BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010."

Source: Guardian, 06/16/2023

As Bird Populations Crash, Local Reporting Can Help Untangle Why

A precipitous decline in bird populations worldwide and in North America has numerous causes and is, at least in part, the result of human activity. But the complexity of the problem doesn’t mean that it can’t be reported on the ground by environmental journalists using nearby resources. The latest TipSheet has more, along with a dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Chemicals